Anticipation

Do you remember the childish anticipation of Christmas Eve? I do. It was seldom met with reality on Christmas morning. 

I've grown to see anticipation as something to be viewed skeptically. If I work for an hour or so to put together a sour cream coffeecake, for example, I can fall into anticipating its glorious depth of flavor, moistness and harmony with some espresso. The anticipation is part incentive for the often tedious parts of the mixing process, which I still do with an underpowered hand mixer. In recent months, I have managed to meet my anticipated goals with these cakes from time to time. But my anticipation was not met with delivered satisfaction as frequently as it was. 

I have consciously avoided anticipation as part of my practice whenever I catch myself wrapped up in it before some event or completion of a project. I realized some time ago that anticipation is somewhat passive in nature. If I am truly absorbed in the moments of doing something, creating something or assembling something, anticipation of a result is irrelevant. 

I have come to prefer a life free of anticipation or expectation. A life of doing, giving and being leaves little room for anticipating or expecting. Wouldn't this be a wonderful concept to teach children during the holidays?